THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 25, 1995 TAG: 9504250277
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
It was a warm summer day last year when Carl Meredith got the phone call that chilled him to his bones:
``Mr. Meredith. My husband is abusing me. I don't know what to do.''
``I didn't know what to tell her. . . . It's like you're instantly projected into a void of darkness,'' said Meredith of Norfolk. To this day, he doesn't know why he received the call. ``I told her to call the police, I didn't know what else to tell her. . . . They make you feel as helpless as they feel.''
That's one of the reasons Meredith helped organize the Family Violence Seminar, held Monday night at Lafayette-Winona Middle School in Norfolk. The forum drew about 75 people who wanted to learn more about the issue.
Representatives of various city and community agencies - a police sergeant, the commonwealth's attorney, a magistrate, the director of Norfolk's battered women's shelter - discussed their roles in prosecuting family violence and helping victims.
The audience learned about obtaining protective orders, the ``probable cause'' police officers need for arrests and what victims should do when they decide to leave a violent relationship.
It also learned from insiders why the system doesn't always work.
Commonwealth's Attorney Chuck Griffith, for example, said his office traditionally has not handled domestic violence cases because they are usually misdemeanors.
With recent staff additions, he said, he hopes to take on such cases.
``The next step is to become more involved on a more expansive level, even when they're not a felony,'' Griffith said. ``. . . Hopefully, we will be able to take that role.''
The seminar was sponsored by the three community groups, including the newly formed Norfolk Family Violence Alliance. The alliance - whose members include a former victim of domestic violence, Social Services workers, police officers and other concerned citizens - seeks to improve community and judicial response to domestic abuse.
The other sponsors were the Norfolk Neighborhood Crime Prevention Coalition, which helps plan community seminars, and PACE - the Police Assisted Community Enforcement Program.
By the end of the evening, Meredith said he would be prepared if he received another frantic call.
``I would tell her that there are family services out there, legal aid, that she is not alone,'' Meredith said. ``That once she makes that contact, she can be out of that abusive relationship.'' ILLUSTRATION: MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Staff
Magistrate Charles Studds, center, answers questions during the
Family Violence Seminar Monday night at Lafayette-Winona Middle
School in Norfolk. At left is Cheryl Bonneville of Woman in Crisis;
at right is Norfolk Police Sgt. C.W. Brewer.
KEYWORDS: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE by CNB